(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to packaging for display units, and in particular, to a lightweight and thin plasma display apparatus with a large screen, and to packaging for packing the plasma display unit including a plasma display module.
(b) Description of the Related Art
In general, plasma display units are light emitting devices which include two glass substrates sandwiched together and sealed to each other, and which display an image using a gas discharge between the glass substrates. Plasma display units have many applications, such as a television, a monitor and an advertising display used outdoors, and these apparatus has received much attention as a direct-view image display with a large screen for the High Definition Television (HDTV) era due to its favorable features such as its fast response, its easy enlargement of the screen, and its simple manufacturing process resulting from the lack of a need for an active element in each cell.
Plasma display units are usually classified into alternating current (AC) types and direct current (DC) types with respect to driving power, and surface discharge types and face discharge types with respect to gas discharge. At present, AC and surface discharge type plasma display apparatus are dominant because of their higher resolution, larger screen size and simpler manufacturing.
A plasma display unit includes a plasma display panel (hereinafter referred to as “PDP”) having a pair of transparent glass substrates facing each other to form discharge spaces; and having groups of electrodes placed thereon. A chassis member supports the PDP. A driving circuit board is attached to the chassis member for sending signals to the PDP. Such a plasma display unit may also be housed in a main case.
In contrast to other display devices, it is necessary to consider a way to transport the panel module which has large glass substrates as the main components.
Recently, sizes of PDP's has increased and manufacturing these large PDP's requires a large-scale facility. Thus, PDP manufacturers produce the panel module only while plasma display unit manufacturers compile plasma display units by adding other circuit blocks purchased from PDP manufacturers to the panel module, and assembling them into the main case.
During the transport of PDP's from the PDP manufacturer to the plasma display unit manufacturer, it is important that measures be taken to avoid damage by shock during the transport.
Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication Nos. 2002-302156, 2002-302187 and 2002-302193 disclose packaging structures for transporting a panel module including installing a module support plate made of corrugated cardboard to the back of the PDP module, the cardboard being larger than the outer dimensions of the panel module and covering the panel module. The module support plate is installed by using supporting means having a grooved floor and an outer edge fitted to the size of the PDP. Additionally, a frontal protective cover made of resin is used, the cover being approximately the same size or larger than the frontal frame of the plasma display module. The frontal protective cover contains an antistatic substance to protect the flexible printed circuit (FPC).
The aforementioned prior art uses a variety of means to protect the front, sides and back of the module, which is expensive, and requires much time to install because of its complicated structure.